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I’m Linda Bradley, author of the Montana Bound Series. After receiving reader requests for A Montana Bound Christmas, this merry band of misfits is together once again. Like warm cocoa and your favorite pair of slippers, I hope ho, ho, home for the holidays! warms your heart.

Chloe and John McIntyre await Maggie Abernathy’s arrival at the 617 Ranch, but snowfall has halted flights from Michigan to Montana. While Maggie and her mother prepare for a delayed departure, eight-year-old Chloe prepares for disappointment by inviting her Hollywood mother to the ranch in hopes of filling the void. Brook’s unexpected acceptance raises the stakes for John who longs for the perfect Christmas. This cast of misfits bands together in true Montana Bound style when unexpected guests arrive and a curious dog goes missing.

“DAD, WHEN’S MAGGIE going to get here?” Chloe’s breath fogged up the picture window. Her gaze scanned the snowy Montana mountains. “I hope she makes it in time for Christmas.” Ruffling Chloe’s dishwater-blond mane, I prayed like hell Maggie and her mother, Glad, would get here soon. Traveling had come to a halt across the country thanks to the winter storm, but at least Maggie and Glad were safe at home and not sleeping on some airport floor like the many interviewed on the news.

Feeling anxious, I massaged my temples. Wrapping my arms around Maggie and kissing her lips were the only Christmas presents I needed.

“Not sure, Pumpkin. Depends on the flights.”

Crossing paths with Maggie the summer before last was like finding a rose bush on top of a mountain while searching for gold. As much as she resisted, her heart finally won. We all won. Acquiring Glad in the deal was a bonus. Without hesitation, she’d taken a special liking to Chloe. They’d bonded instantly through their love of mischief. Glad was like the grandmother Chloe never had, and her sense of humor cut to the quick. Glad wore her heart on her sleeve and was the only one capable of giving Maggie a run for her money when Maggie needed a challenge. Glad was Maggie’s mother first and foremost, but their relationship—built on sarcastic wit, middle-naming, and genuine love—was most unique.

“Maggie has to get here.” Chloe drew a heart in the moisture on the frosty glass pane. She wrote her initials above Maggie’s, then she added a plus sign. “The snow is so thick you can barely see through it.” Chloe hummed a holiday tune between thoughts. “Just think, Dad, next year at this time, I’ll be nine and Maggie will have been here a whole year.”

Nudging the hat back from my brow, I thought about the woman who’d stolen my heart. I never dreamed in a million years I’d fall head over heels for my Michigan neighbor lady, Maggie Abernathy. Living in Grosse Pointe hadn’t been on my agenda originally, but the picture was crystal clear why I’d established residency in the Great Lake State before coming back to Montana. If I didn’t believe in fate before, I did now, and I wanted Maggie to get here as much as Chloe. We had big plans of starting a life together and this was only the beginning.

“Why couldn’t Maggie and Glad come earlier?” When Chloe spoke, deep lines appeared along the bridge of her nose.

“I told you, Chloe, Maggie’s settling things with her house. Remember when we sold our house in Grosse Pointe? It takes time. Papers have to be signed, things need to be packed, and besides Maggie wanted to spend some extra time with her momma. You can understand that, right? When Christmas is over, Glad’ll fly home. I don’t think Maggie has ever really been apart from her momma.”

I lifted Chloe’s chin with my index finger. My daughter’s soul shimmered behind her green stare. Hope should’ve been Chloe’s middle name because my girl never gave up when the chips were down.
“Glad’s house is where Maggie grew up. Maggie’s saying her last goodbye.”

Chloe’s expression tugged at my heart like the snap of a lasso when wrangling a wild pony.

“I know what you mean. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten used to being apart from my momma, but maybe that’ll change someday. Hollywood sure is a far way away.”

Chloe’s momma was nothing like Maggie, and I wondered if I’d ever shed the guilt from our failed marriage that had left my daughter living with her old man. Chloe longed for a normal household, whatever that was in this day and age. Smiling at Chloe, I wished she’d see the well of hope I carried myself.

“I guess so, but I want Maggie to be here. It’s almost Christmas. We have so much to do.”

“I want Maggie here, too, Peanut, but it is what it is.” Resting my hands on Chloe’s thin shoulders, I prayed for the skies to clear so our Maggie’s arrival was sooner than later.

“Maggie promised she’d make cookies with me. Christmas will be here before you know it. This is our first Montana Christmas, and I want it to be perfect.” Chloe leaned her forehead against the window, closed her eyes then whispered in the sweetest of voices, “Please Lord, it’s me, Chloe. I know I can be kind of a pain, but can you please help Maggie and Glad get here, and fast?”

On the outside, my daughter was as tough as they come, but on the inside, she was soft and cuddly. Chloe rested her head against my shoulder, her warm breath like butterfly kisses upon my neck.
“Are you going to marry Maggie?”

“Without a doubt.” My heart pounded as I imagined sharing life with the woman I loved. “Don’t you worry.”

“Good,” Chloe whispered. “I can feel your heartbeat against mine. I think we both love her.”

“This is where Maggie needs to be, Peanut.” Holding my daughter tight, I breathed her in. She was a wee one, but something told me the years would pass in a blink of an eye if I wasn’t careful.

“I love you, Daddy.” “I love you, too, Munchkin.” Outside, heaping mounds of snow grew deeper
with each passing hour. If Maggie and Glad couldn’t get to the 617 Ranch before Christmas morning this was going to be some Montana-bound holiday.

Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She has always been a fan of fantasy and was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn’t start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing dark fantasy and paranormal thrillers.

She is currently publishing her monthly Shadow Stalker serial, and she has published a prequel novella to the series called, Demon Hunt. She is also working on a new series of novels, A God’s Deception.

Aside from writing, she loves reading (fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her daughter. Visit her site for more information and a free copy of Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 6): http://reneescattergood.com

Rylee is a normal girl, living in a normal world. At least that’s what she thinks until an Onyx Warrior tells her the truth. She is trapped in a dream world by an ancient and powerful vampire, while he feeds on her blood at his leisure. Worse, her only chance for escape is likely to get her killed.

I got an interesting email today. Karina from BookMeditationRetreats.com has informed me about an article, Lystia Putranto published February 3, 2017.

Karina wrote:

“To be productive is a something that we all struggle with sometimes and at times, we find ourselves procrastinating on our daily task. On this article, our contributing writer, Lystia, shares a list of practical tips that can help us establish and maintain our focus.”

I found this article helpful and interesting and agree with Karina, that we might find this post very useful.

The title is: Productivity Tips: How to Stay Focused Admist Chaos and Lystia lists five very useful tips on how to organize ourselves.

Make a Daily Schedule and Stick to It

Take Up Meditation

Do One Thing at a Time

Minimize Distractions

Give Yourself Designated Breaks

Each of the points includes more detailed explanations and gives us insight in her studies.

Writing was not my first career choice. In fact, I avoided the career path like the plague. It was not a logical choice, or so I was told. Being a writer is a dream. What if being a writer is a destiny and sometimes there are some destines you cannot escape. Hello nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself I am a writer.

The Beginning

To be honest I have been telling stories since I was 4. They were all in my head acted out via Barbie’s, or She-Ra action figures or me with my friends outside on the playground. This made sense for my first step into the writing world was being a comic book script writer. Writing was a destiny I could not escape. I’ve been writing in this business off and on for nearly 8 years. Freelancing writing is the kind of job that is a side job not your main job to pay the bills with. “Writing” was a dream. I almost believed it. I had stopped writing when one day I got an email from a total stranger. They said they missed seeing my work. When was, my book coming out that I had mentioned I was writing? One person even offered me money to help with my writing career (I declined in case you are wondering.). Next day another email from a young girl who said I inspired her to write herself could I read a sample of her book. BAFLING!

Jump Starting

I decided to dive back into my writing taking a serious stab at freelancing writing as my career. I found jobs, but they were usually low paying, no recognition, plus they worked you like a mule job. Hey it was a job, right? You had to start at the bottom and you’re your way, up right? Problem was what I didn’t know was I was selling myself way below my worth. Add onto it these jobs were getting me nowhere. I was writing anonymously. I was not getting KNOWN. All the articles I wrote were basically ghostwritten. If I was to show someone my portfolio what did I have to show?

Writing You’re Worth

It took the help of my husband to finally convince me I was not writing my worth. I believed since I did not have the prestige like most writers do of going to college my experience did not count. I schooled myself actually learning first-hand the world of authors and publishers. One thing I learned was that when you are passionate about something you instantly possess that thicker layer of skin they talk about. The literary world can be brutal my friend, and the grammar police are very REAL. I got truly convinced though when I wrote an article for my husband’s boss for his business and he paid $50.00 for my top-notch work. He loved the article saying to my husband his wife was a phenomenal writer. This made me think. Maybe I WAS not writing my worth. I decided no more taking writing mill jobs. No more charging low prices because I am some little indie writer.

Discovering My Worth

So, what happened? I avoided the sent per word pricing. You can say I am at intermediate level so I just went with a flat rate. I do book promotions and each package includes a complementary book review that goes on Amazon and my blog as well as a promotion week of their book. I had 3 packages people could choose from. $10.00 for one book $20. If you had two books and $30. For 3 or more books. I was very cheap, thinking indie authors will love this. I am so affordable! I was only drawing in $30 to $40 bucks at the most. After discovering my worth I raised my prices to $15., $26, $60. This seemed to draw more peoples interest in me. More orders started coming in. I had one client order $103.66 dollars ‘worth. It seemed I was doing better charging more that I was charging less! I also had the proof to back up my work via my blog and website I created.

If you feel like you’re struggling, ask yourself are you writing your worth?

About our guest author JannyC:

JannyC is a published author (Writing under the pen name of Jan Marie.) and freelance writer. She currently writes at Indie Promotions where she helps writers and entertainers promote their work. follow her on

Since this blog exists I hosted 40 fellow authors on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’. I am very proud of this number, but I’d like to do more.

It’s January 2017 and I plan to publish further Author Spotlights here on my blog.

By now ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’ has over 600 followers and I’d love to introduce you to them, either with a Blog Tour participation, a Guest Blog or an “Author Spotlight”, which was indeed the most used feature and includes an interview.

To me it is a pleasure and an honor to have had you all here as guests and I’d be delighted if you come back any time for promotion on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest.’

I had a returning interview guest last year and there is a chance for a second interview ANYTIME!

I’d love to continue giving a chance to authors and writers to promote on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’. Therefore it’s a pleasure to announce the good news:

Whether you plan a blog tour, would like to be featured in an interview, or provide my blog with a guest post, please use the widget form on the right side of the page to contact me and leave me your message.

Fill in the form and pick the subject: “Blog Tour”, “Author Interview”, “Guest Post” or “Feedback” – and let me know what I can do for you. I would like you to enjoy the spotlight and make your post a remarkable experience.

When the XX century started, the Gibson Girl was still the paragon of beauty and elegance. She was pale and curvy, she would coiffed her long hair in complicated ways, and she would use very little cosmetics. She wore long, hindering clothes, she would spend much of her time in the house.
The Gibson Girl was expected to become a wife and a mother and that was her main, most valued role in society.

Though this was the situation when the XIX century died, things had already started changing throughout that century. Upper class families had started aiming for fewer children to whom the family would give more attention and concentrate more expectations. But controlling births in the XIX century was still very hard and abstinence was the most effective method of contraception.

But at the beginning of the XX century, contraception methods became more common and effective, and this triggered a huge change in the dynamics of families.
Couples could now decide when to have children and how many. These led to women having the possibility to prolonged their non-mother years and achieve other goals (like for example an education) before they turned to the caring of children. It wasn’t just a change of lifestyle. It changed the way women thought to themselves and so the way society at large perceived them.

1920s: enter the New Women

When the 1920s began, this New Woman, who was daughter to a mother who had great aspirations but little possibilities to realized them, stepped to the scene and had all the intention to capitalized on everything she had.

The fact that intercourse between the sexes was now separated by childbearing, changed the way young people understood themselves and their relation, and as it may be expected, this affected women in particular.
Young people started to increasingly think that exploration before marriage was acceptable (intercourse before marriage was still socially condemned). They started dating, which meant young people went out on dates even if they didn’t have any intention to marriage the particular person. Sex appeal became very important for both men and women, because having the possibility to choose on the date practice meant you had to heighten your possibilities to be chosen.The New Woman’s New Look

This resulted in a dramatic change of look on the part of women: contours became more important and gladly sported. Skirts became shorter, stockings became sheerer, the practice of making them up (which was considered bad prior to the 1910s) became absolutely acceptable for young people.

The Gibson Girl never made herself up, and even when she did, she useed a limited range of cosmetics, which were normally very hard to detect because they try to mimic the pail complexion that was fashionable at the time.
Nice women weren’t expected to ‘paint’ their faces, that was what actresses and prostitutes did. And in addition to the social stigma, makeup was also quite dangerous, since it still incorporated dangerous substances, and quite difficult to put on.

In the late 1910s and early 1920s, cosmetics became not only safer, but also a lot easier to use. It also became portable (the compact was invented) and this, coupled with the new attention to sex appeal and driven by the example of ever more popular film celebrities, made makeup ever more common and socially accepted.

1920s women also started bobbing their hair.
This was claimed to be for practical reasons: no more confined to the house, the life of a young woman was a lot busier in the 1920s. Women engaged in activities with their male counterparts and did things that were unthinkable for their mothers. Going to the beach, doing sports, going around in cars, dancing the new crazy dances, all of this became routine of the modern girl. That was the reason, she clamed, why she needed less cumbering clothes and short hair that made it easier to be active and still remain well-groomed.

Social stigma

But here was more to the changing in the 1920s women’s look and that didn’t get lost on women themselves, nor on society at large. Women were cutting with the past and embracing a new conception of life.

They made themselves up because they wanted to be more attractive, because they lived their sexuality more freely, and that was condemned by society as a decadence of their nature. They bobbed their hair because they refused to be bound to the practice of caring after it for a long time everyday, which bound their mothers to the house. Society at large cried out at the carelessness and lack of responsibility of women who seemed – and in fact were – questioning their traditional social role.

In imposing a new look for herself, the New Woman of the Roaring Twenties also imposed a new idea of herself. The idea of a person who could do what she desired and grabbed the possibility to do so.

About Sarah Zama:

FULL BIO

Sarah Zama was born in Isola della scala (Verona – Italy) where she still lives. She started writing at nine – blame it over her teacher’s effort to turn her students into readers – and in the 1990s she contributed steadily to magazines and independent publishers on both sides of the Atlantic.
After a pause, in early 2010s she went back to writing with a new mindset. The internet allowed her to get in touch with fellow authors around the globe, hone her writing techniques in online workshops and finally find her home in the dieselpunk community.

Since 2010 she’s been working at a trilogy set in Chicago in 1926, historically as accurate as possible but also (as all her stories are) definitely fantasy. She’s currently seeking representation for the first book in the Ghost Trilogy, Ghostly Smell Around.
In 2016, her first book comes out, Give in to the Feeling.

She’s worked for QuiEdit, publisher and bookseller in Verona, for the last ten years.
She also maintain a blog, The Old Shelter, where she regularly blogs about the Roaring Twenties and anything dieselpunk.

For the past few months I got busy hosting several authors here at ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’, either with a Blog Tour participation, a Guest Blog or an “Author Spotlight”, which was indeed the most used feature and includes an interview.

To me it is a pleasure and an honor to have had you all here as guests and I’d be delighted if you come back any time for promotion on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest.’

In the meantime it turned out the first run is over, most of the Featured Author Spotlights are published or at least prepared.

Many of these spotlights have been quite successful and word about the articles, books and authors circled through social media channels which I am very grateful for. This all was possible thanks to you and your help!

I’d love to continue giving a chance to authors and writers to promote on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’. Therefore it’s a pleasure to announce the good news:

There are slots available now!

Whether you plan a blog tour, would like to be featured in an interview, or provide my blog with a guest post, please use the widget form on the right side of the page to contact me and leave me your message.

Fill in the form and pick the subject: “Blog Tour”, “Author Interview”, “Guest Post” or “Feedback” – and let me know what I can do for you. I would like you to enjoy the spotlight and make your post a remarkable experience.